It only took 12 seconds for senior Chelsea Armstrong to help earn another win for Northwestern this season. The Wildcats’ all-time leading scorer added another goal to her record, putting a quick end to overtime in last Friday’s contest in Evanston.
Her offensive attack propelled No. 10 NU to an exciting 5-4 victory against No. 6 Penn State. This week, the Cats continue Big Ten competition with an important trip to Ann Arbor, Mich., where they will battle the No. 15 Wolverines. Although last week’s win was a thriller, no one is keen on enduring another close game.
“We just need to continue to get better,” coach Tracey Fuchs said. “There are obviously things we need to work on.”
The close finish was another step in the right direction for the Cats, but there are plenty of opportunities remaining on the schedule. Armstrong spoke about the overtime win with an apparent desire to look forward.
“Basically what happened last Friday doesn’t matter if we don’t win (this) Friday,” she said. “So we’re just making sure everyone’s focused at practice this week.”
Armstrong’s performance earned Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week honors for the third time this season.
“I don’t really know how to explain it … it’s not something that I expected,” she said. “But it’s only a result of everyone on the team.”
The Cats have fought through injuries on their way to a 10-2 record this season, spending the past week putting finishing touches on their approach.
Fuchs mentioned a noticeable similarity between playing styles in both Penn State and Michigan, which added another level to the preparation this week.
“I think we match up really well against them,” Fuchs said. “But when it comes down to it, again, it’s going to be who can really stick to the details when the game’s on the line.”
In the case of goalkeeper Amanda Wirth, the last game proved a lot about her resilience. The senior took over at the last minute in goal against Penn State to replace sophomore starter Maddy Carpenter, who injured her wrist during warm-ups.
Being informed of the change so near to start time was “definitely nerve-wracking,” she said, “but that’s what I’m here for.”
Wirth is unsure of who will play Friday in goal but remains confident that the team will play well regardless. The ability to adapt quickly has been an ongoing theme of the entire season thus far.
Michigan will be another test for the young Cats team, which gained 11 freshmen this season, many of whom are already making important contributions. Fuchs gave credit to the five or six players who made significant contributions against Penn State and who will likely be on the field against Michigan as well.
Armstrong said the question for the rest of the season lies not in team chemistry, but in the energy levels they bring to future competitions.
“I think we could come out with a little more energy in the start, sometimes we take a little while to get going in games,” she said. “Hopefully we can work on that this week and make sure that the minute the whistle blows on Friday we’re ready to play.”
